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Guest panda celebrates ninth birthday in NE China

Xinhua, July 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

One of two giant pandas that are the first to live in cold, high-altitude Jilin Province in northeast China celebrated its ninth birthday Saturday.

"Jia Jia" was treated to a cake of frozen melon juice, bamboo shoots, persimmons and carrots in its outdoor pen while a large crowd of tourists sang "Happy birthday" and cheered.

Jia Jia, a male panda, is one of a couple that is living at the tiger park in the provincial capital Changchun under a three-year lease contract with China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Sichuan Province.

Jia Jia and his partner, "Meng Meng," arrived in Changchun on July 1, 2015.

"They are in perfect health," said zoo keeper Wang Haijun. "Each eats about 25 kg of fresh bamboo daily, plus 3 to 5 kg of bamboo shoots, buns, apples and carrots."

Fresh bamboo is flown in from Sichuan every five days.

Two zoo keepers and three vets take turns to care for the panda couple and health checks are carried out at least once a month, Wang said. Endi